Scottish Parliament Passes New Hutting Law
On the evening of November 4, 2025, MSPs in the Scottish Parliament voted to pass a new hutting law, which will require the Scottish Government to publish a model lease for hutting on public land. This change in legislation aims to make it easier for people across Scotland to access public land for low-impact, sustainable hutting in the future.
Huts are simple homes that allow people to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of modern society and reconnect with nature. Reforesting Scotland’s 1000 Huts Campaign highlights the many benefits of hutting, including bringing people closer to nature, promoting practical skills in low-carbon living, fostering community, and improving overall health and well-being.
With hutting being highly dependent on access to land, campaigners from Reforesting Scotland and the Scottish Rewilding Alliance had been advocating for the Scottish Government to publish a draft lease for hutters on public land. This successful campaign was inspired by a pilot project at Carnock in southwest Fife, where a pioneering lease allowed a group of hutters to build 12 huts on the national forest estate.
Al Whitworth, Director of Reforesting Scotland, expressed his delight at the passing of the new law, stating, “This is another great success for our ongoing 1000 Huts Campaign. We are thrilled that the Scottish Government has recognized the benefits of making a model lease available for hutting on public land. We hope that this will unlock more sites where hutters can enjoy nature, protected by a strong legal agreement.”
Steve Micklewright, co-convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance and chief executive of Trees for Life, also commended the Scottish Government for supporting the need for a model lease for hutting in the new Land Reform Bill. He emphasized that rewilding is not only about restoring nature, but also about restoring people’s relationship with the land. Hutting offers a fantastic way for more people to share in and care for Scotland’s landscapes, making this a win for people-led rewilding.
The successful changes to the bill were proposed in Parliament by Ariane Burgess, Scottish Greens MSP for the Highlands and Islands. Burgess believes that opening up more public land for hutting will create various opportunities for people to get closer to nature and develop practical skills, while also fostering community and cooperation. She stated, “I’m really pleased to see the Scottish Government recognizing the importance of hutting in the new Land Reform Bill by supporting my proposed amendment. This positive result should benefit people for years to come.”
This hutting win represents a double success for the Scottish Rewilding Alliance’s recommendations on the Land Reform Bill. On October 28, 2025, MSPs voted to create a law obliging the owners of large landholdings over 1,000 hectares to publish plans on how they will increase biodiversity. The Alliance believes that this represents a big step towards a Rewilding Nation.
While celebrating the passage of these two new laws, the Alliance also acknowledges that Scotland is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries and urges the Scottish Government to be more ambitious in the future. Despite the government’s commitment to protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030, only 2.5% of Scotland’s land is currently rewilded. At the current rate of progress, it will take 65 years before major nature restoration is underway across 30% of the country.
Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of nature to a state where it can look after itself, focusing on restoring natural processes and reintroducing missing species. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance is calling on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland the world’s first Rewilding Nation and implement bold legislation to support rewilding. Polling has shown that this is supported by over 80% of the Scottish public.
The Alliance’s Pathway to a Rewilding Nation lays out a clear vision for a wilder, fairer future for Scotland. Rewilding campaigners across the country are asking political parties to include rewilding in their manifestos ahead of the 2026 elections.
As Scotland takes a step towards becoming a Rewilding Nation, we can look forward to a future where nature is thriving, and people are connected to the land in a meaningful way.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.